Thursday, 25 February 2016

Carnivores of the North-East, listen up! A new place has opened in the Granite City and it's waiting for you to check it out.

Introducing CUE BBQ, just off of Union Street, Aberdeen.

We were welcomed to CUE with an array of fruity cocktails and warm smiles from the staff.

Along with the pulled pork, ribs, black pudding, fried chicken, etc was a colour section of slaws and cornbread, which I was desperate to try for the first time.

Everything is served on rustic BBQ platters, just like they do in the Southern states. I also like how they've incorporated Scottish delicacies like black pudding into the menu. It went down a treat with us!

Golden rings of absolute perfection.

JUST LOOK AT IT!

This is Scott, co-founder of Angus & Oink sauces (which are on the tables and taste dlicious!!!). He told us a bit more about how the restaurant came into being and the inspirations behind it. In a joint venture with his family and friends, Scott wanted to bring some Texan soul food flavour back to Aberdeen after a USA road trip.

The restaurant opened earlier this month and is already packed with people eager to taste the food.

Funnily enough, a family who sat near us proclaimed that it was their THIRD time back this week! No one can blame them!

After another round of fizzy cocktails, it was time to head home and gush to my friends about the amazing food I'd just eaten and the warm experience I encountered.you can

CUE is about to shake up the family dining experience for the better and it couldn't have come at a better time.

And let's not forget the puddings on offer...

Even though it's an American classic, I can't stand key lime pie/cheesecake, so I helped myself to the loooooovely pecan pie and icecream instead.

Herbivores, do not despair! The restaurant caters for your veggie needs too with delicious curries, slaws, rice and chillies.

As soon as you step foot in the joint (#meatpun...) until you leave adjusting your belt, you can see, hear and taste the passion and hard work that went into making CUE a reality. And it's businesses like this that are destined to thrive up here.

I met up with my friend, Naomi whom I had not seen in aaaaaaaaaages! She welcomed me to the city and took me to the first stop: Mary's Milk Bar.

Now, on a snowy, grey Scottish morning, you wouldn't expect an ice cream parlour to be so busy, but this place is so charming, so people (both tourists and locals) can't ignore it.

We both of lovely salted caramel milkshakes, that were so good! So good in fact that I'd wolfed it down before I even had a chance to take a picture (doh!).

Edinburgh CastleCastlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG

Here, I bid farewell to Naomi and met up with Dede. We purused around the castle for a bit, mostly with mouths open at the sheer size of it.

My Geology nerdiness tells me that the castle is built on a huge batholith, part of an extinct volcano #LearningWithJoelle.

The snow started to fall thick and fast, so we took refuge in The Royal Mile Cafe.

Camera Obscura549 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2ND

Next on my recommendation list was Camera Obscura. Dede and I had absolutely no idea what this place was, but we queued up for it just to get out of the blizzard. It turns out to be six floors of optical illusions, challenges and fun stuff - mainly for kids, mind.

At the top of the building is a large camera that overlooks Edinburgh. It has a super zoom, used to "spy" on people entering Edinburgh Castle. We also saw the famous Greyfriars cemetery where JK Rowling once walked and got inspiration for her Harry Potter character names - there is a real Tom Riddle tombstone!!

Scottish National GalleryThe Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL

I love galleries and museums unapologetically. Most are free and filled with such special things. It's so surreal being about to stand and admire something that was created hundreds of years ago, right?

Despite lots of foodie recommendations for places like The Witchery and The Living Room, Dede and I were really craving Wagamamas! I mean, how can you turn down a steaming bowl of chicken/noodle ramen goodness? You know your meal is going to be good when you need a ladle to eat it!

We also visited a market where we picked up macarons from Mademoiselle Macaron, a cute stationery shop and a few vintage boutiques. From the quirky shops to the historical buildings, Edinburgh is honestly stunning. I kept oooh and aaahing like I'd never seen a city before, but it couldn't be helped!

I'm super excited to head back this summer for the Fringe Festival.

My train window view of the Stonehaven coast.

This part of Scotland is a real thing on beauty and I urge you to come visit. It's so easy to opt for a weekend away outside of the UK, but we really do have some scenic and historic gems north of the border that are just begging to be explored.

Thursday, 4 February 2016

Using my Stubhub vouchers, I finally managed to get a good pair of tickets to the hottest musical in the West End. Even though I had seen some 5 star reviews and theatre awards news floating about, I really underestimated the popularity of this show. All I know was that it told the story of The Kinks and had some good songs in it.

Back in the day (aka 2011-2012), The Kinks' music really got me through my A Levels. I loved the guitar riffs that were so raw and unpolished. One minute I was head-banging to "You Really Got Me", and the next, I was swaying along and daydreaming to "Waterloo Sunset".With that said, I didn't bother to look into their history as one of the biggest bands during the "British Invasion" of rock bands in America. Their story isn't as well-know as, say, the Beach Boys or The Beatles, so I think that's why this musical has done so well - it's fresh!

I go to the theatre a lot, and one thing I'm not a big fan of is biographical musicals. You know, a rise and fall true story about a musician or actor. It's just so hard to get right and I feel more effort is put on trying the find the perfect look-alike lead actor instead of the best performer.

But Sunny Afternoon is different, thank God.

You feel like you've let go of your 2016 life and have been transported to the carefree Sixties were everything was an experiment - music, lifestyle... haircuts... The Kinks were working class Cockney boys who strived to remain as real as possible, even when fame kicked in. They fought hard and stuck their middle fingers up to the posh, wealthy industry people people who tried change them and make them more marketable for the more cookie-cutter American audience.They loved each other and hated each other at the same time, and along with personal issues, writer's block and censorship and heavy competition, the band go through some challenging times that not all of them can handle.It was refreshing to learn about about who were all about their unique music and lyrics, even if that meant not getting as popular as they should have been. They were proud of their roots and put up a strong fight against anyone who tried to change them.A lot of today's artists need to take a leaf out of their book and stick up for what they want more.

The two lead actors, John and George who play Ray and Dave Davies both won an Olivier Award for their performances last year and it was really well-deserved.

Every character has their own talent and special trait that the entertains the audience

5/5 from me and it really deserves that rating.

The standing ovation went on for about 10 minutes, no joke and I was the first on my feet, cheering like a lunatic and dancing along (annoying all some of the elderly folk around me).

It's a stylish, vibrant and fun show that cannot be missed.

Even if you know nothing about The Kinks and aren't familiar with their music, I recommend you take a chance and go see it before it's too late! And to be honest, their songs are so well-known that you'll be probably get chills as soon as you recognise the famous guitar riffs!